First Baptist Church Covington

What Makes A Healthy Church?

We certainly need healthy churches.

I don’t have the answer, but God knows our needs and has provided everything we need. The Apostle Paul wrote to the church at Philippi about the same subject he wrote to many other churches. He challenged the church to be of the “same mind” and to act in “full accord and of one mind” (Philippians 2:2). He further called the church to do nothing our of selfish ambition or conceit (Philippians 2:3).

Isn’t this the issue in every church? Isn’t this the church health problem? What a difference we could make if we took on the mind of Christ who “emptied himself, taking the form of a slave” and “humbled himself and became obedient to the point of death” (Philippians 2:7-8).

Paul gives us three things that will help the health of the church.

First, a healthy church will have right belief. This passage gives us a very early look at right belief about Jesus. Paul shows us the story of Jesus. He was fully God and fully man. He suffered on our behalf, having emptied Himself.

God then highly exalted Him and gave Him the name above all names. He is Lord of lords and King of kings. At Him every knee should bow and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord.

Let us not take that confession for granted. We confess that Jesus is God and master of us all.

Within fifteen years of Paul’s writing both Simon Peter and Paul died because of their confession of Christ as Lord. Let us be as faithful.

Second, a healthy church will know its purpose and follow it completely. Paul called for obedience to God and devotion to His calling. Paul wanted the church to do all things without murmuring or arguing (Philippians 2:14).

Third, a healthy will join together as God’s church to do all that pleases Him. Paul challenged the two warring women of Philippi “to be of the same mind in the Lord.” He called on the church’s pastor to help these women who had labored so faithfully with Paul in the Gospel (Philippians 4:2-3).

These three exhortations will help the health of the church but only if we are fully devoted and completely obedient. This is why Paul called on the church to have the same mind as Christ Jesus who in humility emptied Himself for the sin of the world.